Yes, it looks more like a vent, the outer U shape line is raised and the inner surface looks to be flat with the rest of the hood. Question is will it look like normal design vent or it will be some new look that will be only M3 specific.

About the powerdome... and this is pure speculation on my part... But BMW has used prosthetic parts before to cover up features they didn't want to reveal. Here is a comparison between an older spy photo and the current one. IMO, the older photos seemed to have an over-bulbous hood that they were happy to un-camouflage. New photos are under camo again. Just sayin...

As I said in the other thread, the power dome could come even if it is not needed, just like the X6 M50d has and the X5 M50d has not. It the enxt day new spypics reveal it, but it is purely esthetic, so no "form follows function".

As I said in the other thread, the power dome could come even if it is not needed, just like the X6 M50d has and the X5 M50d has not. It the enxt day new spypics reveal it, but it is purely esthetic, so no "form follows function".

There is a reason the X6 gets the dome- The Active Hybrid required it so it was developed, the AH X6 sold poorly but the stamping was available- to recoup the costs and give the X6 M a more menacing look with the LCI the hood was used. In the EU the hood is optional across the lineup as BMW AG wants to recoup as much money as they can whereas the US market it is standard with the X6 M (the way it should be).

Rumors had this same concept of getting the most out of a stamping die with the 1M using the ActiveE hood but that never materialized.

I think this will be a modern interpretation of the dome for mostly aesthetics but some cooling effect as well- A better comparison would be the hood scoop on the MINI Cooper S, initially for aesthetics then it needed to provide some cooling to itself

There is a reason the X6 gets the dome- The Active Hybrid required it so it was developed, the AH X6 sold poorly but the stamping was available- to recoup the costs and give the X6 M a more menacing look with the LCI the hood was used. In the EU the hood is optional across the lineup as BMW AG wants to recoup as much money as they can whereas the US market it is standard with the X6 M (the way it should be).

Rumors had this same concept of getting the most out of a stamping die with the 1M using the ActiveE hood but that never materialized.

I think this will be a modern interpretation of the dome for mostly aesthetics but some cooling effect as well- A better comparison would be the hood scoop on the MINI Cooper S, initially for aesthetics then it needed to provide some cooling to itself

Why the they havn't used that hood on the X5 M50d ? Or on the X5 M and X6 M ? Because it would be too overplayed.

About the powerdome... and this is pure speculation on my part... But BMW has used prosthetic parts before to cover up features they didn't want to reveal. Here is a comparison between an older spy photo and the current one. IMO, the older photos seemed to have an over-bulbous hood that they were happy to un-camouflage. New photos are under camo again. Just sayin...

not a fan of the power dome. Hope it is not there in the final design, The power dome on the current M3 looks horrible, especially from the side profile. Looks cheap and very "pontiac-ish" The e46 M3 was much more subtle and better executed.